Financial Aid Policies

Financial Aid policies are determined by the U.S. Department of Education. We encourage you to be familiar with these policies so that you maintain federal financial aid eligibility throughout your academic career at Lesley University.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Students receiving financial aid of any type are required to make satisfactory academic progress toward their degree. "Satisfactory Academic Progress" is defined by federal regulations of the U.S. Department of Education as "proceeding in a positive manner toward fulfilling degree requirements." Academic progress is measured using qualitative (GPA) standards, quantitative (credit completion rate) standards and students are eligible for financial aid consideration through their first 180 attempted credits of their 120 credit degree program. According to these federal guidelines, Lesley University students must maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined in their College Catalog. Students are reviewed on an annual basis in June with regard to their continued eligibility for federal, state and institutional financial aid for the following year.

Graduate Students:

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal

Students who are not making satisfactory academic progress are allowed to submit an appeal, along with supporting documentation, based on unusual circumstances. The Appeal Form will be provided by the Office of Financial Aid to students who are eligible to appeal. Please note that appeals will not be approved more than one time during your enrollment at Lesley University.

Withdrawals

Return of Financial Aid Funds for Withdrawn Students

Students who withdraw completely from Lesley and who have been awarded financial aid may have their financial aid awards adjusted according to calculations mandated by federal and state regulations and policy. The Federal Return of Funds regulations require that the Financial Aid Office calculate the amount of financial aid that must be returned to the federal government and other agencies and the amount that can be retained to pay Lesley charges. Students who are considering withdrawing are encouraged to contact the Financial Aid Office at 617.349.8581 for more details.

The calculation of the return of Title IV funds is determined by the date that the student withdraws, which could be:

The date the student began Lesley University's withdrawal process;

The date the student officially notified the institution of intent to withdraw;

The student's last date of attendance at a documented academically related activity;

The midpoint of the enrollment period for a student who leaves without notifying the institution (an unofficial withdrawal).

Federal Title IV aid and all other aid is earned during the time a student is attending Lesley University. The percentage of aid earned is determined by dividing the number of days a student was enrolled by the number of days in the semester, up to the 60% point. Return of Title IV funds is no longer necessary after that point. If the student withdraws from all courses after the 60% point in the semester, Title IV aid is viewed as 100% earned. However, if a student completely withdraws prior to that 60% point, the student may owe back part of his/her financial aid if the Financial Aid Office determines the student has received an amount larger than the earned amount.

The refund policy for state financial aid is the same as the federal policy. A copy of the worksheet used for this calculation can be requested from the Lesley University Financial Aid Office.

The term "Title IV Funds" includes the following programs:

Federal Pell Grant

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

Federal Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG)

Federal Direct Subsidized Stafford Loan

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan

Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan

Federal Perkins Loan

Federal Iraq & Afghanistan Service Grants

In accordance with federal regulations, financial aid funds are returned and allocated in the following order:

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan

Federal Direct Subsidized Stafford Loan

Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan

Federal Pell Grant

Federal SEOG Program

Other Title IV programs

Other state, private, and institutional aid

Any refund due the student

Lesley University will also return any funds necessary to Title IV programs upon completing the calculation. The student's responsibilities in regard to the return of Title IV funds include repaying to the Title IV or state programs any funds that were disbursed directly to the student and which the student was determined to be ineligible for via the Return of Title IV Funds Calculation. The procedures and policies listed above supersede those published previously and are subject to change. Please contact the Financial Aid Office if you have any questions about this policy. Students who are not financial aid recipients should refer to the institutional policy.

Failure to Receive a Passing Grade

When a student does not pass any classes during a completed semester/mini-semester, the U.S. Department of Education mandates that Lesley University must determine if the student ceased attendance or attended through the end of the academic term and “earned” their failing grades.

Title IV financial aid recipients who receive all failing grades for a semester will be identified by the Financial Aid Office contact the student and request that they provide documentation to show that a failure(s) was academic in nature. If the student cannot provide such documentation, it will be determined that the student “unofficially withdrew”, and the following procedures will be initiated:

Using the Return to Title IV calculation, a prorate report will be calculated to determine if the student received unearned Title IV aid, either in a refund or as a payment for tuition, fees, room and board, etc.

The student will then be notified in writing of their revised financial aid award based upon the calculation performed.